Anti-fogging agent

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides anti-fogging agents and cleaners that provide long-lasting prevention of fogging of glass, plastic, or other hard surfaces. The present invention relates to an anti-fogging agent or cleaner which contains: (A) a fluorinated amphoteric or anionic surfactant; and (B) a fluorinated nonionic surfactant. The present invention also relates to an eyeglass cleaner including a non-woven fabric impregnated with the anti-fogging agent or cleaner.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to anti-fogging agents for glass, plastic, or other hard surfaces.

BACKGROUND ART

Known methods for removing dirt and grime from eyeglass lenses, sunglass lenses, cellphone screens, watch crystals, TV or PC glass screens, mirrors, or other products include cleaning with a microfiber woven fabric, ultrasonic cleaning, or a cleaner containing a surfactant. Among these methods, cleaning with a cleaner containing a surfactant is simple and can be adapted to provide additional functions such as preventing readhesion of dirt and grime or preventing fogging on hard surfaces.

As an example of such cleaning with a cleaner containing a surfactant, Patent Literature 1 discloses a cleaner containing a fluorinated surfactant and a non-fluorinated surfactant. The cleaner, however, incorporates a comparatively large amount of the fluorinated surfactant in order to prevent readhesion of dirt and grime, and is not described as an anti-fogging agent. Indeed, the cleaner has an insufficient anti-fogging effect.

Patent Literature 2 discloses an anti-fogging cloth impregnated with a liquid containing a fluorinated cationic surfactant and a fluorinated nonionic surfactant. The anti-fogging cloth, however, is required to have a comparatively high fluorinated surfactant content, and hardly shows a long-lasting anti-fogging effect.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: JP 2013-216778 A

Patent Literature 2: JP 2009-195648 A

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

The present invention aims to provide anti-fogging agents and cleaners that provide long-lasting prevention of fogging of glass, plastic, or other hard surfaces.

Solution To Problem

The inventors have made extensive studies to achieve the above aim, and have found that the combined use of specific two types of fluorinated surfactants provides a long-lasting anti-fogging effect even when the fluorinated surfactant content is greatly reduced. Accordingly, the inventors have completed the present invention.

Specifically, one aspect of the present invention relates to an anti-fogging agent, containing: (A) a fluorinated amphoteric or anionic surfactant; and (B) a fluorinated nonionic surfactant.

The fluorinated amphoteric or anionic surfactant (A) is preferably present at a concentration of 0.1 to 20 wt %.

The fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B) is preferably present at a concentration of 0.01 to 20 wt %.

The fluorinated amphoteric or anionic surfactant (A) preferably contains a perfluoroalkyl or perfluoroalkenyl group.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a cleaner, containing: (A) a fluorinated amphoteric or anionic surfactant; and (B) a fluorinated nonionic surfactant.

Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to an eyeglass cleaner, including a non-woven fabric impregnated with the anti-fogging agent or cleaner.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

The anti-fogging agent or cleaner of the present invention containing (A) a fluorinated amphoteric or anionic surfactant and (B) a fluorinated nonionic surfactant can exhibit a long-lasting anti-fogging effect while maintaining coating uniformity.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The anti-fogging agent or cleaner of the present invention contains (A) a fluorinated amphoteric or anionic surfactant, and (B) a fluorinated nonionic surfactant.

The fluorinated amphoteric surfactant (A) refers to an amphoteric surfactant in which a hydrogen atom in an alkyl chain of the surfactant is replaced with a fluorine atom. For example, it may be a compound represented by the following formula (1):

R^(f)—X—Y^(a)   (1)

wherein R^(f) represents a fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkenyl group; X represents an alkylene or arylene group which may contain a sulfoamide, carbonyl, or oxa group; and Y^(a) represents a zwitterionic group.

The number of carbon atoms in the fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkenyl group designated by R^(f) is preferably, but not limited to, 3 to 20. The fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkenyl group may have a linear, branched, or cyclic structure, but preferably has a linear structure for easy availability. Also, the number of substituted fluorine atoms in the fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkenyl group is not particularly limited. Still, the fluoroalkyl or fluoroalkenyl group is preferably one in which all the hydrogen atoms have been replaced with fluorine atoms, i.e. a perfluoroalkyl or perfluoroalkenyl group.

Examples of the zwitterionic group designated by Y^(a) include, but are not limited to, betaine, sulfobetaine, and amine oxide groups.

The concentration of the fluorinated amphoteric surfactant (A) in the composition is preferably, but not limited to, 30 wt % or less, more preferably 0.1 to 20 wt %, still more preferably 0.3 to 10 wt %. The composition containing less than 0.1 wt % fluorinated amphoteric surfactant (A) may not exhibit a sufficient anti-fogging effect, while the composition containing more than 30 wt % fluorinated amphoteric surfactant (A) may exhibit deteriorated temporal stability and is not preferred from the cost standpoint.

The fluorinated anionic surfactant (A) refers to an anionic surfactant in which a hydrogen atom in an alkyl chain of the surfactant is replaced with a fluorine atom. For example, it may be a compound represented by the following formula (2):

R^(f)—X—Y^(b)   (2)

wherein R^(f) and X are as described in formula (1), and Y^(b) represents an anionic group.

Examples of the anionic group designated by Y^(b) include, but are not limited to, carboxyl, sulfuric acid, sulfone, and phosphoric acid groups.

The concentration of the fluorinated anionic surfactant (A) in the composition is preferably, but not limited to, 30 wt % or less, more preferably 0.1 to 20 wt %, still more preferably 0.3 to 10 wt %. The composition containing less than 0.1 wt % fluorinated anionic surfactant (A) may not exhibit a sufficient anti-fogging effect, while the composition containing more than 30 wt % fluorinated anionic surfactant (A) may exhibit deteriorated temporal stability and is not preferred from the cost standpoint.

The fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B) refers to a nonionic surfactant in which a hydrogen atom in an alkyl chain of the surfactant is replaced with a fluorine atom. For example, it may be a compound represented by the following formula (3):

R^(f)—X—Y^(c)   (3)

wherein R^(f) and X are as described in formula (1), and Y^(c) represents a nonionic group. [0024]

Examples of the nonionic group designated by Y^(c) include, but are not limited to, C2-C20 oxyalkylene groups in which a hydrogen atom in the alkylene group may be replaced with a fluorine atom.

The concentration of the fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B) in the composition is preferably, but not limited to, 30 wt % or less, more preferably 0.01 to 20 wt %, still more preferably 0.1 to 10 wt %. The composition containing less than 0.01 wt % fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B) may not exhibit a sufficient anti-fogging effect, while the composition containing more than 30 wt % fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B) may exhibit deteriorated temporal stability and is not preferred from the cost standpoint.

The combined concentration of the fluorinated amphoteric or anionic surfactant (A) and the fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B) in the composition is preferably, but not limited to, 60 wt % or less, more preferably 0.1 to 40 wt %, still more preferably 0.3 to 20 wt %. The composition containing less than 0.1 wt % surfactants (A) and (B) may not exhibit a sufficient anti-fogging effect, while the composition containing more than 60 wt % surfactants (A) and (B) may exhibit deteriorated temporal stability and is not preferred from the cost standpoint. As to the upper limit of the combined concentration, even the composition containing 2 wt % or less surfactants (A) and (B) can produce the effect.

The solvent used may be water or an alcohol, for example. Examples of the alcohol include methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, and t-butanol. The water and alcohol may be used alone, but are preferably used in admixture to provide both quick-drying properties and detergency on grease and other dirt and grime.

The concentration of water in the composition is preferably, but not limited to, 99 wt % or less, more preferably 10 to 90 wt %, still more preferably 20 to 80 wt %. The concentration of alcohol in the composition is preferably, but not limited to, 99 wt % or less, more preferably 10 to 90 wt %, still more preferably 20 to 80 wt %.

The anti-fogging agent or cleaner of the present invention may contain, for example, a solvent, chelating agent, builder, preservative, colorant, fragrance, stabilizer, UV blocking agent, alkalizing agent, thickener, hydrotropic agent, enzyme, and antibacterial agent, as long as the effect of the present invention is not impaired.

The anti-fogging agent or cleaner of the present invention is intended to be applied to a hard surface. Examples of the hard surface include, but are not limited to, eyeglass lenses, sunglass lenses, cellphone screens, watch crystals, TV or PC glass screens, and mirrors. The anti-fogging agent or cleaner of the present invention can be uniformly applied even to a coated hard surface to which surfactants are difficult to apply uniformly, and can exhibit a long-lasting anti-fogging effect.

The anti-fogging agent or cleaner of the present invention may be applied by, for example, a method in which a non-woven fabric is impregnated with the anti-fogging agent or cleaning composition of the present invention, a method in which a container equipped with a nozzle, a spray container, a pen-type container equipped with a liquid absorbing wick, or other similar containers is filled with the anti-fogging agent or cleaner, or a method in which the anti-fogging agent or cleaner is applied and spread with a brush. In such cases, the anti-fogging agent or cleaner applied to a hard surface may be spread over the surface using an additional material such as a dry non-woven fabric.

Among the above methods, the non-woven fabric impregnation method is preferred from standpoints such as portability, ease of wiping, and scraping of dirt and grime.

The material of the non-woven fabric used in the non-woven fabric impregnation method may be, for example, but not limited to, rayon, acrylic material, cotton, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, or nylon. Also, the non-woven fabric may be produced by any method, and examples include binder-bonded fabrics, spunbonded fabrics, needle-punched fabrics, spunlace fabrics, spray fiber fabrics, and stitch-bonded fabrics. The substrate impregnated with the anti-fogging or cleaner is not limited to non-woven fabrics and may be, for example, a woven fabric or paper, which may be made from any material.

EXAMPLES

Hereinafter, the present invention is described in detail with reference to examples. The present invention, however, is not limited to the examples.

The chemicals used in the examples and comparative examples are listed below.

Fluorinated amphoteric surfactant: a perfluoroalkyl compound, “SURFLON S-233” from AGC Seimi Chemical Co., Ltd., concentration=30 wt %

Fluorinated anionic surfactant: a perfluoroalkyl compound, “SURFLON S-211” from AGC Seimi Chemical Co., Ltd., concentration=50 wt %

Fluorinated cationic surfactant: a perfluoroalkyl compound, “SURFLON S-221” from AGC Seimi Chemical Co., Ltd., concentration=30 wt %

Fluorinated nonionic surfactant: a perfluoroalkyl group-containing ethylene oxide adduct, “SURFLON S-242” from AGC Seimi Chemical Co., Ltd., concentration=100 wt %

Isopropyl alcohol: “TOKUSO IPA” from Tokuyama Corporation

Examples 1 to 12 and Comparative Examples 1 to 7

The surfactants, isopropyl alcohol, and water as shown in Table 1 or 2 were mixed in the amounts indicated in the table to prepare anti-fogging agents.

<Anti-Fogging Test>

Before the test, a 140 ml mayonnaise jar was charged with water (100 g) and placed in a water bath controlled to maintain 50° C. to 57° C., so that the water in the mayonnaise jar was kept at 50° C. to 57° C. A wiper (11 cm×11 cm, “KAYDRY wiper” from Nippon Paper Crecia Co., Ltd.) was folded in four. The center portion of the folded wiper was impregnated with the prepared anti-fogging agent (50 pl). The anti-fogging agent was applied to the convex surface of a lens (Super Power Shield Coat, refractive index=1.76, “BELNA ZX-AS” from Tokai Optical Co., Ltd.) by gently spreading the agent across the surface with the wiper twice in a constant direction. The lens was then rotated by 90°, and the anti-fogging agent was gently applied to the lens twice in a constant direction in the same manner as described above. Here, coating uniformity was evaluated based on the criteria below. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. Then, the lens to which the anti-fogging agent was applied was well dried, and mounted on the opening of the mayonnaise jar with its convex surface facing down. At that time, the anti-fogging test was started. The lens was visually observed, and the time (anti-fogging duration) was measured until about half the area of the lens located inwardly of the portion in contact with the opening of the mayonnaise jar was fogged. Also, the anti-fogging effect was evaluated based on the criteria below. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

(Coating Uniformity)

-   Excellent: easy to apply and spread so that it can be uniformly and     evenly spread -   Good: easy to apply and spread so that it can be substantially     uniformly spread with slight unevenness -   Fair: difficult to apply and spread, causing slight unevenness -   Poor: difficult to apply and spread, causing unevenness

(Anti-Fogging Effect)

-   Excellent: 20 minutes or more -   Good: at least 5 minutes but less than 20 minutes -   Fair: more than 0 minutes but less than 5 minutes -   Poor: immediately fogged (indicated as 0 minutes in the tables)

TABLE 1 Example Nos. Example Comparative Example 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Component SURFLON S-233 3.3 6.7 3.3 3.3 (wt %) (Fluorinated amphoteric surfactant (A)) (1.0) (2.0) (1.0) (1.0) SURFLON S-211 2.0 4.0 2.0 (Fluorinated anionic surfactant (A)) (1.0) (2.0) (1.0) SURFLON S-221 6.7 3.3 3.3 (Fluorinated cationic surfactant) (2.0) (1.0) (1.0) SURFLON S-242 1.0 1.0 2.0 1.0 (Fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B)) (1.0) (1.0) (2.0) (1.0) Total surfactant concentration (wt %) 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Isopropyl alcohol 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 Water 65.7 67.0 63.3 66.0 63.3 68.0 64.7 63.4 65.7 Evaluation Coating uniformity Fair Good Fair Good Fair Poor Poor Fair Good result Anti-fogging duration (min) 55 23 15 11 0 0 9 9 0 Anti-fogging effect Excellent Excellent Good Good Poor Poor Good Good Poor

As shown in Table 1, considering the results of Comparative Examples 1 to 4 in which four types of fluorinated surfactants were used alone, the anti-fogging effects per total surfactant concentration in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were obviously smaller than those in Examples 1 and 2, and the anti-fogging effects in Comparative Examples 3 and 4 were both insufficient. The anti-fogging effects in Comparative Examples 5 to 7 in which two of the four types of fluorinated surfactants were used in combination were also insufficient. In contrast, the combined use of a fluorinated amphoteric or anionic surfactant (A) with a fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B) produced satisfactory results with obviously long-lasting anti-fogging durations as shown in Examples 1 and 2.

TABLE 2 Example Nos. Example 3 4 5 1 6 7 Component SURFLON S-233 1.0 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 33.3 (wt %) (Fluorinated amphoteric surfactant (A)) (0.3) (1.0) (1.0) (1.0) (1.0) (10.0) SURFLON S-211 (Fluorinated anionic surfactant (A)) SURFLON S-242 1.0 0.1 0.5 1.0 10.0 1.0 (Fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B)) (1.0) (0.1) (0.5) (1.0) (10.0) (1.0) Total surfactant concentration (wt %) 1.3 1.1 1.5 2.0 11.0 11.0 Isopropyl alcohol 30 30 30 30 30 30 Water 68.0 66.6 66.2 65.7 56.7 35.7 Evaluation Coating uniformity Fair Good Good Fair Fair Excellent result Anti-fogging duration (min) 30 28 42 55 >60 >60 Anti-fogging effect Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Example Nos. Example 8 9 10 2 11 12 Component SURFLON S-233 (wt %) (Fluorinated amphoteric surfactant (A)) SURFLON S-211 1.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 20.0 (Fluorinated anionic surfactant (A)) (0.5) (1.0) (1.0) (1.0) (1.0) (10.0) SURFLON S-242 1.0 0.1 0.5 1.0 10.0 1.0 (Fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B)) (1.0) (0.1) (0.5) (1.0) (10.0) (1.0) Total surfactant concentration (wt %) 1.5 1.1 1.5 20 11.0 11.0 Isopropyl alcohol 30 30 30 30 30 30 Water 68.0 67.9 67.5 67.0 58.0 49.0 Evaluation Coating uniformity Good Good Good Good Good Good result Anti-fogging duration (min) 18 7 18 23 17 25 Anti-fogging effect Good Good Good Excellent Good Excellent

Table 2 shows the results of experiments (Examples 1, 3 to 7) with different concentrations of the fluorinated amphoteric surfactant (A) and the fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B). Even when the concentration of one of the surfactants was greatly reduced as in Example 3 in which the concentration of the fluorinated amphoteric surfactant (A) was 0.3 wt % and Example 4 in which the concentration of the fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B) was 0.1 wt %, sufficient anti-fogging durations were exhibited. Table 2 also shows the results of experiments (Examples 2, 8 to 12) with different concentrations of the fluorinated anionic surfactant (A) and the fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B). Even when the concentration of one of the surfactants was greatly reduced as in Example 8 in which the concentration of the fluorinated anionic surfactant (A) was 0.5 wt % and Example 9 in which the concentration of the fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B) was 0.1 wt %, sufficient anti-fogging durations were exhibited. 

1. An anti-fogging agent, comprising: (A) a fluorinated amphoteric or anionic surfactant; and (B) a fluorinated nonionic surfactant.
 2. The anti-fogging agent according to claim 1, wherein the fluorinated amphoteric or anionic surfactant (A) is present at a concentration of 0.1 to 20 wt %.
 3. The anti-fogging agent according to claim 1, wherein the fluorinated nonionic surfactant (B) is present at a concentration of 0.01 to 20 wt %.
 4. The anti-fogging agent according to any one of claim 1, wherein the fluorinated amphoteric or anionic surfactant (A) contains a perfluoroalkyl or perfluoroalkenyl group.
 5. A cleaner, comprising: (A) a fluorinated amphoteric or anionic surfactant; and (B) a fluorinated nonionic surfactant.
 6. An eyeglass cleaner, comprising a non-woven fabric impregnated with the anti-fogging agent according to claim
 1. 7. An eyeglass cleaner, comprising a non-woven fabric impregnated with the cleaner according to claim
 5. 